Automatic productive-hen-selecting apparatus



K. ARAKI. AU'IOMATI'C PRODUCTIVE HEN SELECTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22,1920. 1,390,860. Patendsepn. 13,1921.

J7 /Y/wz'. WW

' ATTORNEY.

l-VUNVLED Ns,i'rl'rss PATENT oFFlcE.

`an egg isbored through the rear side o KICHIJIRO `ABAKI, OF KAGOSHIMA, JAPAN, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-FOURTH T0 GOKEN' NAXAIMIURA, 0F ROBE, JAPAN.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, KICHIJIno ARAKI, a subject of the E1n eror of Japan, andresidentof the city o Kagoshima, in the Prefecture of Kagoshima and Empire of Japan, have invented a new and useful `Automatic Productive Hen-Selecting A paratus, of which the following is a` speci cation.

This invention relates` to an automatic productive-hen selecting apparatus in which a shallow breeding box is fitted in a cubiform or cubic outer case having no bottom in sucha wa that the box can be moved up and down reely, an opening-and-closing cover is provided to the outer case by means of ahinge, said box being suspended by four corners through `themedium of four strings connecting it with said cover and passing over pulleys arranged for the purpose, and a hole of a suitable size for any heir to pass out therethrough after la illilg t e outer case, thus constituting the apparatus proper, and saidapparatus is set on the border of a breeding chamber and an adjoining chamber;V the apparatusis so arranged and constructed that, when a hen goes into the breeding` box, said box is low ered by theweight o the hen with a consequence that the cover is closed to shut off the retreat of the hen, and the hole of the exit is opened to allow the hen to go out `into V1 the adjoining chamber through the hole at will as soon as she has laid an egg, and, when the hen has left the breeding box, the box automatically returns to the original osition through `the elasticity of a spring tted thereto, andthe cover is opened at the same time to permit another hen to go in to breed, making it possible to distinguish hens which laid an egg on a certain day from those that did not breed by letting the former pass into the adjoining chamber, and to select productive hens by keeping records of the productivity and unproductivity.

An object of this invention is to provide an automatic productive-hen selecting apparatus calculated to solve a fundamental problem of rearing hens of productive breed by making it possible to select productive hens from unproductive ones most easily and perfectly without any trouble, and to considerably increase productive eciency of AUTOMATIC PRODCTIVE-HEN-SELECTING APPARATUS.

`Specilcation of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 13, `1921. Application mea July 22, 192e. seran m. 398,206.

poultry-farming directly productive hens and to duction thereby.

Another object of this invention is to provide an automatic productive-hen selecting apparatus, simple in construction, cheap in cost of manufacture, inexpensive in maintenance, smooth and perfect in operation, durable in use, and far more practical and economical than any other apparatus or means of the same nature hitherto in use.

Other objects and advantages to be derived from the use of this invention will ap pear in the `following detailed description and the claim, takenlwith an inspection of the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a side elevational view ot the apparatus with its opening-and-closing cover opened;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of rhe apparatus with its opening-and-closing cover closed;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational View of the apparatus with its opening-and-closing cover opened;

And, Fig. 4 is a rear view of the apparatus as represented by Fig. 3.

Throughout the several views similar characters of reference designate like and corresponding parts.

A detailed description of this invention will be given hereinafter by referring to the accompanying drawing, thus:

The numeral of reference 1 designates a cubiform or cubic outer case having `no botby eliminating unreduce cost of protom, and a shallow breeding box 2 which lits 1n said case and moves up and down freely is provided thereto, and the box 2 is suspended from its front side by two strings 3 and 3 passing over pulleys 4 and 4 and by its rear side from means o two strings 3 and 3 passing over pulleys 4 and 4', and the box is pulled downward by the center of its bottom by a spiral spring 9 attached to a strip 9, thus causin the box to assume a suitable, predetermined position.

n opening-and-closing cover 6 is fitted to the top of the outer case 1 by means of a hinge 5 in such a way that it can be opened and closed freely, and said cover 6 is suspended by lixin one end of a spiral spring to a post 8 an by attaching the remaining end to the cover. It is to be noted in this Y 3 to operate correlatively.

An exit 10 for the hen is provided at the upper` rear lside of the outer case 1 in such a Way that the greater part of saidv exit 1s lclosed by the breeding lbox 2 when the apparatus is in an opened position, and an arrangement is made to permit a closure 11 having an open bottomV to be inserted when it is deemed advisable to darken the inside of the breedingy box 2.

The numeral 13 designates a step for the i Vhen to enter the breeding box, and 13 another step to go out. l

, In use, the apparatus constructed as hereinbefore described is set adjacent a Wallboard 12 separating a. breeding chamber from an adjoining one, in the manner shown inFig. 1, a hole 10 correspondingto the exit 10 being bored through the board 12 to allow the closure 11 to be inserted therein to darken the inside `of the breeding box 2 when deemed advisable to do so. It is to be noted inthis connection, however, that the closure 11 becomes unnecessary when the hen has been accustomed to lay eggs in the apparatus; p l

When a-hen jumps into the breeding box 2, the box will be lowered by the weight of the hen, and the opening-and-closing cover vvill be pulled down at the same time, and

.theV outer case 1 will. be closedV tov shut off the retreat of the hen, and the exit will be opened with it. Theelasticity ofy the spiral .spring 7 will be increased With the descent of the breeding box 2, and the elasticity of ,the .spiral spring 9Will be decreased on the contrary, which will cause ,the breeding box to descend: gradually Without startling the hen. After laying an egg the hen will pass into the adjoining chamber at Will through .the exitv 10. When the hen has left the breeding box 2, the. box will automatically return to the original position by the elasticityofthe spiral spring 7, and the opening-and-closing cover vWill be opened at the same time to vpermit another hen to go into and lay an egg. In this case the elasticity of the spring 7 will be decreased with the ascent of the breeding box 2, while the elasticity of the spring 9 will be increased gradually, thus preventing shocks due to the rise of the breeding box and protecting the egg from being thrown out. It will be easily seen, that the breeding box will always maintain a horizontal position, despite any position assumed by the hen within the box, owing to the fact that said box is suspended by strings passing over pulleys. It will also be seen 'that the-hens which laid an egg on a certain day can easily be distinguished from those that did not by causing the former to pass into the adjoining chamber without exception (preferably a number plate is attached to a leg of each breeding hen to acilitate discrimination), and that productive hens can be easily selected from unproductive ones by keeping such records for a certain period of time.

I desire it be known that such modifications as are within the scope of this invention shall be regarded to fall within the spirit of this invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

In an automatic hen. selecting apparatus, an open casing supported contiguous to an open partition, a` low, rectangular breeding box vertically and freely movable within said casing and below the opening in the partition, pulleys and flexible elements trained thereon secured in the upper sides of the casing, and supporting said breeding box, a hinged cover for said casing, and connected near its forward portion to said Hexible elements, a post calried by the casing, a coiled spring connecting said hinged cover to said post, a second coiled spring connecting the bottom of the breeding box to a strip in the bottom of the casingto resiliently support a hen as the hinged cover is closed, and a vclosure member open at its bottom within the open partition' for excludingv light from said breeding box and forming an exit from the casing.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature 

